Tuesday, August 10, 2021

The Ten Commandments

John Stromgren

The Sixth Commandment

The first three commandments are about our relationship with God. The rest concern our relationships with others. Here’s one that gets personal. It’s one we’d prefer to leave in the shadows, but in his explanation of this commandment in his Small Catechism, Martin Luther gently lets the sunshine in:

“You shall not commit adultery.”

What does this mean for us? We are to fear and love God so that in matters of sex our words and conduct are pure and honorable, and husband and wife love and respect each other.

Just as the commandment “You shall not kill” is about more than just not killing people, the commandment “You shall not commit adultery” is about more than just not committing adultery. It’s about what’s going on in our hearts. And just as Jesus warned in the Sermon on the Mount -- that hatred is subject to judgment just like murder -- he warns us that lust is tantamount to adultery: “Everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” It’s a slippery slope. A seductive one. We think that a little flirting won’t hurt, but it’s where that path leads that gets people into trouble. We easily become entangled in moral ambiguities and rationalizations, but Luther suggests that we not even go there. Let your words and conduct be pure and honorable. Love and respect each other.